Episodes

Marissa is joined once again by her dad, Don Flaxbart, and she's steering him straight down Memory Lane. Was high school in the 1960s Southwestern US anything like that Sweet Valley High life?

So you love Ned Wakefield's dad jokes? We'll do you one better: a real life dad! Marissa's own actual father, the wise and weird Don Flaxbart, joins shares his thoughts and insights on this, the first "teenage romance of any kind" that he's ever read....

Outtakes, b-roll, and real talk about the actually important moral of HEART BREAKER. Marissa is joined once more by former youth body-surfing competitor Russ Nickel, who points out all the dad jokes in the book and reads some favorite passages.

Now that all that coma/personality swap/assault unpleasantness is behind us, let’s get back to what really matters in Sweet Valley: the beach, boys, and miscommunications involving suntan lotion. Marissa is joined by Russ Nickel, funny guy, writer,...

We’ve read about fictional 1980s highschoolers, but what is it like to play one on TV?! Alex Jennings, who plays Carla on ABC’s The Goldbergs, is uniquely equipped to answer this question. But mostly we just talk about dry shampoo, what it would...

In this tearful conclusion to the Sweet Valley High series, Elizabeth stays in a coma forever…PSYCH! But seriously, has Elizabeth awoken only to find that the events of DEAR SISTER are a fate worse than death? Actress Alex Jennings and Marissa give...

What's more dramatic than a dramatic reading? Just to keep us all on our toes, here's something new: an impromptu audio drama rendition of the final paragraphs of Book 6, DANGEROUS LOVE – the very paragraphs that lead up to our ultra gargantuan...

Strap on your hot pink crash helmet! Just after Valentine’s Day comes a tale to warm the heart and then chill it so fast that it bursts and ruins your freezer. Pop culture lover and all-around funny gal Denise Boylan joins Marissa to unpack this...

#TIMESUP, Scott Daniels! Guests Jess and Brian Reece talk with Marissa about consent, Encyclopedia Brown, and fan mail(!!!).

What happens when Jessica Wakefield defies her parents and stays out ALL NIGHT LONG with a sleazy, pornstachioed college guy? No, seriously, I'm asking YOU: What happens??! Listen in as Marissa and her guests, Jess and Brian Reece, enumerate the many...

When did class snob Lila Fowler become the generous type? Why is Jessica Wakefield suddenly draped in old lady luxury from "Lila's Aunt"? Who does that bitchy clerk at Lisette's think she is? Marissa dials up her BFF Mary Kate Battles again to discuss...

Yes, it's THAT book. The one where Robin Wilson is publicly shamed, doesn't get into PBA, retreats inward, starves herself, loses a million pounds, and then becomes fun and popular. High school BFFs Marissa and her guest, photographer Mary Kate...

The "S" word ("Sex") isn't a part of the Sweet Valley High vocabulary, but in this bonus conversation, Marissa and her guest, film scholar Caitlin McCann, cover lots of tricky s-words: Sex, Slut Shaming, and Subtext. Sooooo Scandalous!

Sweet Valley's two biggest players (Jessica Wakefield and Bruce Patman) are burning hot and heavy for each other, and the fire is only 37% contained. Be careful out there, kids! Marissa is joined by media scholar Caitlin McCann to give this serious...

Marissa interviews her guest Adaora about what it was like reading about the Wakefields et al from across the continents. Together, they consider: Is Enugu the Sweet Valley of Nigeria?

Marissa is joined by filmmaker (and Sweet Valley aficionado!) Adaora Nwandu to discuss the past sins and present bad boyfriends of Enid Rollins, Elizabeth Wakefield's best friend. All secrets from Sweet Valley High Book #2 will be revealed!

“Is Dad having an affair with his female coworker? She’s an attractive woman, right? So…probably.” - Every Wakefield Child Marissa and her guests Kat and Selah vent about this and other Book 1 B-Stories.

“Share the continuing story of the Wakefield twins and their friends – their laughter, heartaches, and dreams.”

What is the Sweet Valley Diaries Podcast anyway?